Astro Arena (CH 801), Malaysia’s first dedicated 24-hour local sports channel on Astro is proving to become synonymous as the home channel for local sports coverage among Malaysians. Based on the recent figures from AC Nielsen Media Research, ASTRO customers instinctively tune into Astro Arena (CH 801) for the best coverage of Malaysian sporting heroes in action.
During the recent Thomas and Uber Cup Finals in Kuala Lumpur, Astro Arena (CH 801) triumphed at the Number 1 slot with the highest number of viewers during the LIVE broadcast of the Quarter-final match between Malaysia vs. Denmark held on Wednesday, 12 May 2010 whereby a total of 501,887 Malaysians tuned in to catch the nations battle for a place in the Semi-finals .
It also achieved the highest slot for the LIVE broadcast of the Semi-final matches on Friday, 14 May 2010 as the nation watched with bated breath as the home team contended against defending champions, China, with 485,296 viewers from 7.30pm to 8.40pm.
Lee Choong Khay, Head of Sports Business of Astro said, “It has been three months since the launch of the channel and already we have received encouraging viewership figures. Needless to say, we are very happy as it indicates Malaysians have accepted Astro Arena as the home channel for local sports coverage. This aligns with our mission to bring more sports to Malaysia.”
“Moving forward, Malaysians will have more chances to watch their nation’s sporting heroes closely and see how they fare in some of the regional sports events on Astro Arena, especially in the upcoming events this year such as Commonwealth Games in Delhi, Asian Games in Guangzhou and the first Youth Olympics in Singapore,” Lee added.
From May 9 to the finals on May 16, 2010, Astro SuperSport (CH 811) and Astro Arena (CH 801) broadcasted concurrent matches respectively, of both the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup. Additionally, for the first time ever, the semi-finals and finals matches of both Thomas and Uber Cups were broadcasted in High Definition (HD) over Astro SuperSport HD (CH 831) for Astro’s sports pack customers with Astro B.yond HD subscriptions.
With two channels, home viewers were able to watch more top-rated matches LIVE especially those involving the home team in Bahasa Malaysia commentary on Astro Arena (CH 801) and in English commentary on Astro SuperSport (CH 811).
In addition, Astro Arena will be broadcasting 35 matches of the World Cup in Bahasa Malaysia commentary, highlights and links directly to South Africa from two of its hosts, Edleen Ismail and Zainal Abidin Rawop bringing you a taste of the their World Cup euphoria in South Africa and more.
Astro Arena completes ASTRO’s Family Package with sports offering alongside entertainment, information and education. With Astro Arena, currently there are 31 ASTRO branded and affiliated channels and 10 sports channels, including 2 channels in High Definition and 1 channel for sports pay-per-view on the ASTRO platform.
May 24, 2010
PAS WANTS RULERS COUNCIL TO INTERVENE
PAS today urged the Council of Rulers to intervene against the federal government decision to issue a sports betting licence.
After handing a protest memorandum to the keeper of the rulers’ seal Engku Ibrahim Engku Ngah (above, middle) at his office at the Istana Negara today, PAS vice-president Mahfuz Omar said the move to legalise such gambling would be detrimental for the youths.
"Football clubs and their players are idolised by youth, so we are afraid that this will hurt the young," he said.He also said that the government's argument that regulated sports betting operations would curb illegal betting was unreasonable.
Mahfuz who is also Pokok Sena MP, said further that the government's assertion that regulating sports betting operations would curb illegal betting - currently estimated to amount to up to RM20 billion in bets - was unreasonable.
“(The police) recently announced that they have set up a special team to identify and eliminate illegal betting syndicates, which signify that these activities occur even if sports betting is legalised.“So now police will go to those who engage in illegal betting and tell them, ‘You want to gamble? Go to Sports Toto outlets,’" suggested Mahfuz in reference to the Ascot Holding-owned operators of around 680 sports betting outlets.
"(It is) as if they (the police) are working for (Berjaya Group chief) Vincent Tan,” he added. The sports betting licence was been awarded to Ascot Holding, a subsidiary of the Berjaya Group, on May 11 this year.
Speaking on the role of the rulers in the matter, Mahfuz noted that they had stepped in previously in the 1960s against the government-run “charity lotteries”, which eventually came to an end in the 1980s. “The former Perlis ruler (Tengku Syed Putra Syed Hassan Jamalullail) was a strong critic of the lottery.
"We hope his son (Tengku Syed Sirajuddin) will take a similar stance,” he said.
The PAS parliamentarians said they hope Tengku Syed Sirajuddin, who is due to chair a council of rulers' meeting on June 26, will convene the event earlier in order to discuss the issue. Mahfuz also criticised the government's failure to hold public consultations on the matter, and wondered aloud whether this was because there were elements of corruption involved.
“Maybe this why it is difficult for him (Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak) to listen to the public outcry on the matter,” he said.According to Mahfuz, a study by Maybank Securities estimated that about RM1.7 billion is spent daily on legal and illegal gambling beside legalised sports betting.
“So including sports betting, we can expect about RM60 billion spent on gambling in the one month of the (Fifa) World Cup (in South Africa),” he said.He said that PAS will also bring their grievances to the National Fatwa Council, while Johor PAS Youth will submit a memorandum to the Johor mufti tomorrow.
Last Friday, PAS organised demonstrations in Penang, Perak, Selangor, Terengganu and Negeri Sembilan against the issuance of the betting licence to Berjaya.
The following day, PAS Youth announced plans to hold this week another demonstration in Selangor and a series of protests in Kelantan, Malacca, Pahang, Perlis ahead of a mammoth rally in Kuala Lumpur on July 3. PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan (left) said the wing hoped to submit a memorandum to the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, urging his intervention in the matter.
The movement against sport betting also garnered support from former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who has urged the government to review the decision to award the licences.
Weighing in on the issue, the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (Abim) last week sent a memorandum to all muftis calling for them to register their protest with the government and urge for the license issued to Berjaya to be revoked.
In a statement issued yesterday, the group said legalising sports betting is akin to covering up the government’s failure to control an illegal activity.
"Abim is certain that the act of legalising - that is, recognising as legal a thing that is haram (such as gambling) and that cannot be controlled by law enforcers while demand for it has increased in the black market - will not solve the problem," said Abim president Muhd Razak Idris.
"To the contraray, it will only give recognition to something that is illegal merely because of our failure to control it," he added.
While callling for the Home Ministry, the police, local authorities and state religious departments to intensify efforts to combat betting operations during the Fifa World Cup, Razak also called for Muslims to stay away from all gambling activities due to their harmful effects on families, society and the economy.
After handing a protest memorandum to the keeper of the rulers’ seal Engku Ibrahim Engku Ngah (above, middle) at his office at the Istana Negara today, PAS vice-president Mahfuz Omar said the move to legalise such gambling would be detrimental for the youths.
"Football clubs and their players are idolised by youth, so we are afraid that this will hurt the young," he said.He also said that the government's argument that regulated sports betting operations would curb illegal betting was unreasonable.
Mahfuz who is also Pokok Sena MP, said further that the government's assertion that regulating sports betting operations would curb illegal betting - currently estimated to amount to up to RM20 billion in bets - was unreasonable.
“(The police) recently announced that they have set up a special team to identify and eliminate illegal betting syndicates, which signify that these activities occur even if sports betting is legalised.“So now police will go to those who engage in illegal betting and tell them, ‘You want to gamble? Go to Sports Toto outlets,’" suggested Mahfuz in reference to the Ascot Holding-owned operators of around 680 sports betting outlets.
"(It is) as if they (the police) are working for (Berjaya Group chief) Vincent Tan,” he added. The sports betting licence was been awarded to Ascot Holding, a subsidiary of the Berjaya Group, on May 11 this year.
Speaking on the role of the rulers in the matter, Mahfuz noted that they had stepped in previously in the 1960s against the government-run “charity lotteries”, which eventually came to an end in the 1980s. “The former Perlis ruler (Tengku Syed Putra Syed Hassan Jamalullail) was a strong critic of the lottery.
"We hope his son (Tengku Syed Sirajuddin) will take a similar stance,” he said.
The PAS parliamentarians said they hope Tengku Syed Sirajuddin, who is due to chair a council of rulers' meeting on June 26, will convene the event earlier in order to discuss the issue. Mahfuz also criticised the government's failure to hold public consultations on the matter, and wondered aloud whether this was because there were elements of corruption involved.
“Maybe this why it is difficult for him (Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak) to listen to the public outcry on the matter,” he said.According to Mahfuz, a study by Maybank Securities estimated that about RM1.7 billion is spent daily on legal and illegal gambling beside legalised sports betting.
“So including sports betting, we can expect about RM60 billion spent on gambling in the one month of the (Fifa) World Cup (in South Africa),” he said.He said that PAS will also bring their grievances to the National Fatwa Council, while Johor PAS Youth will submit a memorandum to the Johor mufti tomorrow.
Last Friday, PAS organised demonstrations in Penang, Perak, Selangor, Terengganu and Negeri Sembilan against the issuance of the betting licence to Berjaya.
The following day, PAS Youth announced plans to hold this week another demonstration in Selangor and a series of protests in Kelantan, Malacca, Pahang, Perlis ahead of a mammoth rally in Kuala Lumpur on July 3. PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan (left) said the wing hoped to submit a memorandum to the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, urging his intervention in the matter.
The movement against sport betting also garnered support from former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who has urged the government to review the decision to award the licences.
Weighing in on the issue, the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (Abim) last week sent a memorandum to all muftis calling for them to register their protest with the government and urge for the license issued to Berjaya to be revoked.
In a statement issued yesterday, the group said legalising sports betting is akin to covering up the government’s failure to control an illegal activity.
"Abim is certain that the act of legalising - that is, recognising as legal a thing that is haram (such as gambling) and that cannot be controlled by law enforcers while demand for it has increased in the black market - will not solve the problem," said Abim president Muhd Razak Idris.
"To the contraray, it will only give recognition to something that is illegal merely because of our failure to control it," he added.
While callling for the Home Ministry, the police, local authorities and state religious departments to intensify efforts to combat betting operations during the Fifa World Cup, Razak also called for Muslims to stay away from all gambling activities due to their harmful effects on families, society and the economy.
May 23, 2010
MSS KEDAH JUARA MUPC MALAYSIA
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SKUAD Majlis Sukan Sekolah-Sekolah (MSS) Kedah muncul juara Kejohanan Piala Premier Manchester United (MUPC) 2010 bawah 15 tahun (B-15).Kejayaan itu dicapai selepas MSS Kedah menewaskan Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Putera Kota Bharu, Kelantan 1-0 pada aksi final di Padang Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN), Bukit Jalil semalam.Selaku juara, MSS Kedah akan mewakili Malaysia pada kejohanan peringkat Asia Tenggara yang bakal berlangsung di Pulau Pinang, Jun depan.Jurulatih MSS Kedah, Mohd. Ridzuan Abdul Rahman ternyata berpuas hati dengan komitmen yang ditunjukkan oleh anak-anak buahnya dan mensasarkan untuk bergelar juara pada kejohanan peringkat Asia Tenggara nanti. "Pemain-pemain telah melaksanakan tugas mereka dengan begitu baik sekali pada perlawanan hari ini (semalam) biarpun ada di antara mereka yang terpaksa menahan kesakitan akibat masalah kecederaan. "
Selepas ini, kami akan kembali menjalani latihan seperti biasa bagi memperbaiki segala kelemahan yang ada dalam pasukan sebelum menghadapi kejohanan peringkat Asia Tenggara pula," jelas Ridzuan semalam. Pada aksi semalam, Muhammad Fitri Che Hassan muncul wira apabila menjaringkan gol kemenangan MSS Kedah dua minit sebelum wisel penamat dibunyikan
Sementara itu, tonggak tengah MSS Kedah, Muhammad Syafiq Ahmad dinobatkan sebagai Pemain Harapan MUPC 2010 berdasarkan persembahannya sepanjang kejohanan tersebut yang bermula 17 Mei lalu. Anugerah bagi penjaring terbanyak kejohanan pula dimenangi oleh Fitri manakala rakan sepasukannya, Mohd. Anis Ismail menerima gelaran penjaga gol terbaik.
SMK Putera yang terpaksa berpuas hati dengan muncul naib juara kejohanan pula memenangi anugerah Fairplay.
May 22, 2010
WHO SHOULD GO OUT SOON ?
A full post-mortem report on the failure of the Thomas and Uber teams would be out soon said Youth and Sports minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek.However, preliminary reports showed that the Malaysian teams lost due to lack of preparations, especially the failure to make use of an opportunity to train at the competition venue early, said Ahmad Shabery.
"But, the full report will reveal our weaknesses from every aspect and will be ready soon," he told reporters after opening the general assembly of Umno branches from the Tumpat division at Sekolah Menengah Biji Wangsa, Kelaboran, near here last night.
"We have to study the internal and external factors that contributed to the poor showing, including preparations, discipline and other aspects. Fans or any other parties must not point fingers at anyone for the failure to recapture the Thomas Cup after 18 years."
He also rubbished claims by players and BAM that the presence of the media had affected their performance, and thus, partly responsible for their defeat.
The media plays an important role in a tournament to lift the performance of players and the prestige of the tournament, he said.
"What was evident is that we failed to make use of home ground advantage and failed to get used to the playing venue despite being the host," he said.
May 21, 2010
SAM IS RIGHT !
SAM SPEAKS OUT !
Persatuan Penulis-penulis Sukan Malaysia (SAM) menyifatkan tindakan menyalahkan wartawan sukan dan media tempatan antara punca utama kegagalan skuad badminton negara ketika pusingan akhir Piala Thomas dan Uber, baru-baru ini, sebagai tindakan terburu-buru dan jalan mudah untuk melepaskan tanggungjawab di bahu.
Sekian, terima kasih.
AHMAD KHAWARI MOHD ISA
Presiden,
BETTER RESIGN LA ....
IT is indeed interesting to find out that the national badminton players have blamed everybody including the media for their failure in the recent Thomas Cup. Read KM Boopathy take here .
1. They said that our rivals are learning faster, have improved, are mentally stronger while some even spoke about the pressure from the media and how it disrupts them.
2. BAM has targeted gold in both but with the players admitting they can't handle pressure, what chance is there for the wait for a World Championships title to end in Paris?
3. Media Pressure.
It is a shame that players can actually give this reasons after failing in the Thomas Cup.
I suggest the Thomas Cup team to be sent to South Korea to train with the Uber Cup team, maybe that can could be a motivation for them.
What do you have to stay Mr Sports Minister, the man who said Malaysia will be in the final ?
1. They said that our rivals are learning faster, have improved, are mentally stronger while some even spoke about the pressure from the media and how it disrupts them.
2. BAM has targeted gold in both but with the players admitting they can't handle pressure, what chance is there for the wait for a World Championships title to end in Paris?
3. Media Pressure.
It is a shame that players can actually give this reasons after failing in the Thomas Cup.
I suggest the Thomas Cup team to be sent to South Korea to train with the Uber Cup team, maybe that can could be a motivation for them.
What do you have to stay Mr Sports Minister, the man who said Malaysia will be in the final ?
May 19, 2010
NOTHING NEW LA
Malaysia cannot continue depending on 'old guards' to lead the country's challenge at the international stage, especially in badminton, said Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek.He added that the performances and ability of ageing national players was limited."National back up shuttlers must be given an opportunity to show their talent and this should have been done a long time ago," he told reporters after launching the 2010 National Futsal League here on Tuesday.
National singles head coach Rashid Sidek and national doubles head coach Rexy Mainaky also echoed a similar sentiment.However, the National team's defeat in the Thomas and Uber Cup finals last week was not solely due to age factor but also a combination of technical and diet, said Ahmad Shabery."The question was not about age entirely but we want the best talent to represent the country. But can't back up players beat veterans like Wong Choon Hang (33) and Muhd Hafiz Hashim (28)?"It is not only Malaysia who are facing such a predicament but Indonesia and Denmark are also in a similar situation," he said.
In the Thomas Cup which ended last Sunday, the Malaysian team led by world number one Datuk Lee Chong Wei lost tamely 0-3 to eventual winners China in the semifinals.With world number one singles player Chong Wei and world number one doubles pair Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon Heong in the stable, expectations were high on the Malaysian team to wrest the Thomas Cup after having won the cup in 1992 by beating Indonesia 3-2 at Stadium Negara.
National singles head coach Rashid Sidek and national doubles head coach Rexy Mainaky also echoed a similar sentiment.However, the National team's defeat in the Thomas and Uber Cup finals last week was not solely due to age factor but also a combination of technical and diet, said Ahmad Shabery."The question was not about age entirely but we want the best talent to represent the country. But can't back up players beat veterans like Wong Choon Hang (33) and Muhd Hafiz Hashim (28)?"It is not only Malaysia who are facing such a predicament but Indonesia and Denmark are also in a similar situation," he said.
In the Thomas Cup which ended last Sunday, the Malaysian team led by world number one Datuk Lee Chong Wei lost tamely 0-3 to eventual winners China in the semifinals.With world number one singles player Chong Wei and world number one doubles pair Koo Kien Keat/Tan Boon Heong in the stable, expectations were high on the Malaysian team to wrest the Thomas Cup after having won the cup in 1992 by beating Indonesia 3-2 at Stadium Negara.
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